1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a corrugate tube fixing protector. More specifically, the invention relates to a corrugate tube fixing protector to be fitted in a fixing hole of a panel member, such as in a vehicle, for fixing an inserted corrugate tube having an EDS (electrical distribution system) element fitted therein, such as a so-called wiring harness, and for protecting the EDS element from an undesirable contact with an edge of the hole.
2. Description of Relevant Art
FIG. 1 shows a conventional corrugate tube fixing protector disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 5-88131 (1993). The protector 1 is a synthetic resin made, and is adapted for fixing a corrugate tube 9 into which a wiring harness W is fitted, and comprises a protector body 2 in a U-form in cross section. The protector body 2 has a groove 3 formed near a front end thereof along a U-form inner surface thereof, i.e. along insides of its both side walls 2a and bottom wall 2b. And, a pair of upper and lower separate stoppers 4, 4' are fitted in the groove 3. The upper and lower stoppers 4, 4' are formed with upper and lower semi-circular recesses 2a, which cooperatively define a hole with a corresponding diameter to a bottom 9a of a flank of each corrugate on the corrugate tube 9. The upper stopper 4 has near top corners thereof a pair of forward projections 4c engaged to be locked in a pair of engagement holes 2c, which are formed through front parts of both side walls 2a of the protector body 2 and communicate with the groove 3.
The lower stopper 4' is fitted in the groove 3 at inner sides of both side walls 2a of the protector body 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the respective semi-circular recesses 4a of the upper and lower stoppers 4, 4' cooperate with each other to hold therebetween the flank bottom 9a of corrugate on the corrugate tube 9, so that this tube 9 is fixed within a region defined by the side walls 2a and the bottom wall 2b of the protector body 2, before a tape T is wound on the protector body 2.
There are disclosed similar techniques for such a corrugate tube fixing protector in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 62-145426 (1987), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 61-218318 (1986), and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 7-7829 (1995).
Such conventional corrugate tube fixing protectors are each provided with a pair of stoppers 4, 4' for fixing a corrugate tube 9 with a specified diameter, thus needing another pair of stoppers for fixing a corrugate tube with a different diameter. Moreover, once fixed between the pair of stoppers 4, 4', the corrugate tube 9 is kept from having its fixing position changed unless forward projections 4c of an upper stopper 4 are disengaged from engagement holes 2c of a protector body 2.